Chapter 11

"What took you damn long to answer?" She's surprised to see Charles on the screen. So, it's her nickname? "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Did you go through my phone?" she asked after snapping back. "Come home. We need to exchange phones now."

Charles raised an eyebrow at her, slowly forming that evil smirk that made her frown. "Curse? Really? You nickname your boyfriend Curse?"

"Well you are one," she murmurs looking away for a second and back at him. "You didn't go through messages, right?"

"Should I go then? Hold up."

"No!" she shouts. But Charles switched over to share his screen. Her hands immediately started shaking, eyes wide at her screen. "I swear I'm going to--" She stopped when she saw no doctor Akira's messages. So, she had really deleted them?

"Erick? Who is this? Is this what you're afraid I'll see?"

He opened their conversation and started scrolling. Stella didn't care if Charles read her and Erick's conversation. There was nothing much there anyways.

"Yeah, it is that. Just come back here so we can exchange phones already!"

"Nah." He plasters a smile. He was now walking in some hallway. She could see in the background. "If you want to hold me that bad, I can go see you, baby. But I won't exchange phones with you anymore."

Stella's face turned blank. She is not in the mood for his pretend sweetness right now after worrying so much. "Have a good day, Charles!" Then she hung up on him.

To make it fair, Stella decided to go through Charles' phone. She went to messages and found out there were only two conversations. It was from her and a guy named Dimitri.

"Could it be that he's gay?" she mumbles, tapping to open the chat.

There she realized, Dimitri was someone close to Charles like he was in office with him. They have a one-word code, replies were dry and purely business.

Nothing. There was nothing to find out more. His contacts were just her and that Dimitri. Is he a loner? His phone seemed unnecessary to him.

Bored in the room, she went in front of the wide television. She took the remote and realized it was a complicated thing to use after turning it on. It has fewer buttons and shit, she does not know how this thing works!

Clicking her tongue, she reached for Charles' phone again. Well, she has no one to run to but that jerk. She went to their conversation and started typing. The moment when she's to hit send, her finger just stopped halfway.

No, she should not bother him. It's bad to seek out someone you know won't stay that long. So, she exited the conversation right away and throw the phone on the bed.

"I got this!"

On the other hand, Charles was with some people. They are presenting to him a  business proposal, trying hard to impress him and persuading him to invest.

His mind was flying elsewhere, constantly checking on his phone, hoping to see a banner on the screen. There was none every time. Who was he kidding? He should not be surprised by this.

When he was changing her phone he had the option to keep her old messages. He wanted to know if she was really linked with Vanessa but there were only old conversations. From it, he assumes that they were friends.

It wasn't all that, there were more conversations retrieved. The most recent was from someone named Doctor Akira. Since he isn't able to ask her anything, he's going to find out why she has this contact.

The problem is, the name Akira is vague. There were many doctors with that first name or last name. He can't just assume which Akira. Someone needed the money so she agreed to this contract but who? Vanessa? Someone from her family? No, there's no family in her contacts, not even mom or dad or siblings.

"Mr. Castigado!" 

Charles instantly snapped back, looking at the other people in the room, blinking a couple of times. Then he cleared his throat.

"Send the presentation to my secretary and I'll think about it," he said, standing up and taking his phone. "Thank you for the presentation."

"Thank you for your time, mister Castigado. We appreciate you coming all the way here."

Charles only nodded and left the room. Nope, he didn't come for them, he came to spend time with Stella before they go home. The meeting was just an excuse.

In the glass hallway, Charles' phone started ringing. Thinking it was Stella, he hurried, taking it out from his suit. His forehead slightly creased at the name on the screen. Doctor Akira. He answered it, bringing the phone closer to his ear.

"Hey! Just wanted to check on you!" Her voice sounded like his mother, an old tone in it despite it being cheery. "You there?"

Will it be awkward if he speaks? On second thought, why would he when he is the boyfriend?

"My apologies but my girlfriend can't be on the phone right now," he informed. There was an "Oh" there from the doctor. "My girl doesn't tell me anything. Is something wrong?"

A burst of awkward laughter came from the other line, making him frown. Maybe Stella has a debt with this doctor, he thought.

"No," she finally answered. "There's nothing wrong really. I was just checking up, is all."

"Are you her personal doctor? May I know the reason why you're checking up on her?"

"Personal doctor," she repeated, clicking her tongue. There was a brief pause and then she said, "Stella was sick one time and came to me. She asked me if I'd be there for her. She asked me like a lost kitten, scared and confuse. I've grown to care for the young lady. Are you really her boyfriend?"

It took him aback. That one time, was it the time when he saw her pale? He could have offered her help then but instead, he was too focused on getting her to agree.

"Yes, I am. Though she won't admit to you that I am." He let out a deep sigh. "I apologize in any way I was rude. She's always bitching at me so I do not know how she really feels."

"Bitching at you?" the woman asked. "Hormones."

"Hormones?"

"Oh, my bad! I am reading something. Just tell Stella to get back with me and do take care of her."

"I wi--"

Charles couldn't continue when the beep suddenly came. He put down his hand staring at somewhere far. There's something going on with Stella. It's not his business and he has his businesses to take care of, but, he can't help it.

Back at the hotel, Charles brought some chocolate cookies. He walk past the mini-living room and then at the doorway he saw Stella. She was sitting on the bed, her knees gathered close to her chest. The funny thing was the tears rolling down her cheeks and the soft sobs.

He glances at the screen and saw that she was watching an animation. It was quite the scenery and the moment was not sad but beautiful.

"Hey, baby!" he called. Stella gazes up at him, her eyes flooded with tears which she instantly wiped out, sniffling. "Whatcha watching there?"

"Five Centimeters Per Second," she answers. "What's that you're holding?"

Charles took a step closer and sat down on the bed, his feet remained on the floor. He handed her the bag. "Cookies. Thought you might want some."

"Thanks," she muttered, taking the bag from him. Then she opened her palm again. "My phone please."

The palm in front of him looked inviting. Although he should not be annoying her, he put his hand on hers, interlocking his fingers on the gap between hers.

With a frown, she wiggled her hand for him to let go but he would not. Instead, he plasters a lopsided grin, watching what she's watching.

"I swear, I'm going to kick you, Charles!" she warns, giving him a death glare.

"Then I'll pull you down and we'll both fall."

"Aish!" she sneered in defeat. "Just give me my phone already!"

"You have your phone," he uttered, unbothered by the fierce stares she is throwing at him. "By the way, doctor Akira called. We talked."

For a moment, Charles sensed that Stella stiffened. She is so obvious.

"What did you talk about?" she asked softly. Her breathing had become thicker that Charles could hear it.

"Is there something you are not telling me, Stella?" he questions, turning to her, looking deep in her eyes.

"What? No!" She looks away, laughing nervously. "And if there is something, why would I tell you about it? It's none of your business!"

Ouch! That hits the spot. Charles let go of her hand and decided to lay down on the bed, both his hands at the back of his head.

"She checked up on you and said for you to get back to her."

"Did she say something to you?"

"So what if she did? It's none of my business, right?"

From the corner of his eyes, he saw how she threw him a glare before facing the television. There's something she's hiding with doctor Akira. But like she said, it's none of his business.

Somehow, Charles found himself liking what they were watching. It was so true to real life. Sometimes your first love, even though you love 'em won't always be yours. Growing up will lead you both on a separate path unless you're both lucky to be walking together in the same direction.

The movie reminds him of his first love, Andrea. Sadly, they're just both separated by the things they are passionate about. While Charles loves business stuff and keeping a plan, Andrea was more of a go with a flow kind of thinker. She does no planning.

They excited each other for a while until it became a "you don't have time for me" and "why didn't you tell me about this?". They agreed to be on their separate paths. It's a small world for them. Who knows, they might see each other again.

Once the movie ended, Stella turned off the TV without even asking Charles if he wants to watch another movie. She put the remote closer to him and laid down, covering herself with the blanket, facing the other side.

Charles took the remote and transfer it to his side table. Then he laid down sideways, extending his hand for Stella. He put an arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

"What are you doing?!" She took off the cover and slapped his hand away. Only, Charles had a good hold.

Stella abruptly turned and unexpectedly met his face closer to her than ever. Her eyes grew large at the sight of his handsome face. Charles had his eyes closed, almost like a fallen angel if she had not known him.

Slowly, Charles lifted his eyelids, showing his marble eyes, enchanting Stella to look at them intensely. It makes her wonder if her child would have her eyes or these lovely eyes she's staring at.

"I know I'm mesmerizing but you're staring too much."

Just as Charles said that Stella lowered her gaze, her face hot as she pouts her lips. She didn't even know that she was staring too much. She was caught up in her thoughts.

"I wasn't." That is all that came out of her mouth.

"You were," he muttered. Stella tried to look at his face again but ended up looking away. It made him softly chuckle, moving the closest, forcing her to rest her head on his chest.

"Hear that?" he asked. "I'm human. Be gentle on me too."

"Why are you being like this?"

"Like what exactly, baby?"

"You're acting insane," she replied, softly.

"This is how I treat my girlfriend. I don't think something's wrong with it."

"I told you to treat me different from them." She sighs softly, letting go of her worry, letting herself down. "You're forgetting that I'm just your pretend girlfriend."